GALVESTON – Scattering ashes at sea is a serene sendoff some choose for their loved ones.
Now, a Galveston boat captain is accused of robbing three families of that final act.
Cody Kenney was hired to spread the ashes of three people offshore, but investigators say he never did.
Kenney was charged with three counts of abuse of a corpse. He has since posted a $15,000 bond.
Court documents say the remains were given to him sometime in late 2021 or early 2022.
Owners of the fishing vessel “Island Girl” and “Hootie Who” of Aqua Safari and Galveston Deep Sea Fishing Charters told KPRC that Kenney was a contracted captain and not an employee who stopped providing service for the charters on Sept. 17, 2022.
The fishing charters work with families about 98% of the time with the spreading of ashes during ceremonies.
The other unaccompanied ceremonies were done by Kenny during a charted fishing trip.
A month after Kenny resigned, the owners received a call from a funeral home about the cremation remains of an individual who hired Aqua Safari Charters to spread the remains.
Captain Kenny signed for the remains in January of 2022, however, they were later found in the garage of his former deckhand.
In October of 2022, the owners discovered two more remains on the vessels.
KPRC 2 Legal Analyst Brian Wice says this is an unusual case.
“What makes this case different is the breach of that contract involved the failure of the remains of not one, not two but three different deceased individuals which makes it a state jail felony under Texas law,” Wice said.
Court documents did not reveal why Kenny allegedly took the remains.
The owners expressed sorrow and sadness for the incident.